Minister looking at positive action
Tue 18 Mar 2008
17/03/2008
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Harriet Harman, the Minister for Women has launched a consultation to consider the benefit of "positive action" in recruiting, it has been reported. The controversial approach will allow employers to consider an applicant's race or gender when choosing between people with the same qualifications. The Express has reported a source close to Ms Harman as saying: "This is not about positive discrimination, we don't think that is the right way to do it." The minister is due to announce the Equality Bill into Parliament. It will give new rights to mothers to breastfeed in public and allow universities to recruit women into male-dominated subjects. The Guardian said the recruitment initiative was "controversial even among some equal rights campaigners" and Conservative MP Anne Widdecombe was more scathing of its proposals. "In addition to being superfluous, this law would be detrimental because it suggests that women and members of ethnic minorities need special treatment," she told the Telegraph. According to official figures, there is a 17 per cent gap between men and women's full time pay.
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